It was the star-crossed lover Romeo who opined
What's in a name? That which we call a rose
By any other name would smell as sweet.
I chose that reference to reflect the game below, which contains a mis-named line, as well as a choice of moves by me that has the aroma more of a polecat than a fragrant flower...
perrypawnpusher - igormsp
blitz, FICS, 2011
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ke6 7.Qf5+ Kd6 8.f4 Nf3+
I checked, and this line is given the name the "Young variation" in the Nomenclature that Bill Wall put together for this blog, after Jack Young, the amazing opening inventor of "Bozo's Chess Emporium" fame.
I think I may have misled Bill in the information that I gave him about the line. Young actually faced the move at the "hands" of the Chess Challenger 10 computer in 1979. That might make it look like the "Challenger Variation," but I think that the name more likely should be the "Norton Variation", after the early Jerome Gambit game Jerome - Norton, correspondence, 1876 (0-1, 42).
My error.
However, the move, itself, is not an error. In fact, it is a great way to set a complacent Jerome Gambit player back on his heels.
9.Kf1
While playing the game, I remembered that the main line goes 9.gxf3 Qh4+ 10.Kd1 Qf2 and that I had quickly reached a drawn position in my game against Sir Osis of the Liver in our 2008 ChessWorld game (winning, when he over-reached).
I didn't remember much more.
More critical was 10...Ne7, from the game perrypawnpusher - sjeijk, blitz, FICS, 2011, (1-0, 19) but I was a little fuzzy on the details there, too.
So, hoping to "surprise" my apparently prepared opponent, I opted for Alonzo Wheeler Jerome's choice of moves against D. P. Norton.
Bad idea: the strategy, and the choice of moves.
9...Kc6
Okay.
There are many reasons that the Jerome Gambit will not be mistaken for, say, the Ruy Lopez, starting with the fact that most of the first 10 moves in the Spanish Game have already been mapped out.
My opponent took enough time in choosing his move for me to believe that I had surprised him. His choice, to leave his Knight en prise and tip-toe his King away from the center, is enough for a draw, similar to the Sir Osis game.
10.Qd5+ Kb6 11.Qb3+ Kc6 12.Qxf3
I could have split the point with 12.Qd5+, etc, but I thought that I would see if I could further confuse my opponent. I was betting on my "Jerome pawns" versus his extra piece, but my poor development seriously hampered my attacking possibilities and actually gave Black the better game.
After the game, Rybka 3 suggested that 12.Nc3 a6 13.d4 was the way for White to fight for a possible, slight, edge. Wow.
12...Qf6
I am sure that the poor Queen has been dying to move since Black played 8...Nf3+ instead of 8...Qh4+. Now, however, it will just be dying.
13.e5+ Black resigned
(See, I wasn't being "modest" when I referred to my recent "lucky wins" in "Three Years Running".)
Here is a recent, light, quick game from MrJoker, at the Internet Chess Club. His opponent must have felt like he had been run over by a truck. Did anyone get the license plate number?
MrJoker - enelec,
blitz 2 12, Internet Chess Club, 2011
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bb4
In all fairness, it is hard to tell if this move is an ultra-modern refinement of the double King pawn opening, or a mouse-slip. (Semyon Alapin used to play 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 Bb4 in the Spanish Game.)
I faced a similar idea (after 3...a6 4.0-0) in my game against dabbling. Actually, MrJoker faced the same move a week earlier; see below.
4.c3 Ba5 5.Bxf7+
Giving the opening the Jerome treatment.
5...Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Nxe5 7.Qh5+ Ke6
Or 7...Ng6 8.Qd5+ Ke8 9.Qxa5 Qe7 10.d3 Nf6 11.0-0 b6 12.Qg5 d6 13.f4 Bd7 14.Nd2 Bb5 15.c4 Bc6 16.b3 a5 17.Ba3 Qf7 18.f5 Ne5 19.d4 h6 20.Qh4 Neg4 21.Rae1 Kd7 22.h3 h5 23.hxg4 hxg4 24.Qg3 Rh6 25.Kf2 Nh5 26.Qxg4 Rf8 27.d5 Bb7 28.Ke3 Kc8 29.f6+ Kb8 30.fxg7 Nf6 31.gxf8Q+ Qxf8 32.Qg5 Qh8 33.Rxf6 Rxf6 34.Bb2 Rg6 35.Bxh8 Rxg5 36.Re2 Rg3+ 37.Nf3 c6 38.Kf4 Rg8 39.Bd4 c5 40.Bc3 Bc8 41.e5 Rg4+ 42.Ke3 dxe5 43.Nxe5 Rg3+ 44.Nf3 Bg4 45.Be5+ Kc8 46.Bxg3 Black resigned, MrJoker - WhiteKnight-1, blitz 2 12, ICC, 2011.
8.Qf5+ Kd6 9.d4 Qf6
Normally, a reliable defensive idea. But not today.
10.dxe5+ Qxe5 11.Bf4 Black resigned
I believe that it was GM Andy Soltis, long ago, who wrote that it can be difficult to decide, when there is a choice of either Rook to move to a square, which one to choose. He even humoursly suggested that, regardless of which one the player chooses, the annotator would be able to to kibitz "Wrong Rook".
That assessment is at the heart of this game (even though, here, it is a matter of choosing which of two Rooks should be moved, each to a different square), but it probably should be written "WRONG ROOK!" and placed against the background of a ticking clock...
perrypawnpusher - pitrisko
blitz, FICS, 2011
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6
7.Qd5+ Ke8 8.Qxc5 d6 9.Qe3 Qf6
In a game that we played 3 days earlier (see "Like the Big Boys"), my opponent had tried the very reasonable 9...Nf6.
10.Nc3
I've played a couple of games with 10.0-0; see perrypawnpusher - TJPOT, blitz, FICS, 2009 (1-0, 48) and perrypawnpusher - LeiCar, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 25).
Louis Morin ("mrjoker") has played a couple with 10.d4; see guest2199 - guest401, ICC, 2004 (1-0, 87) and mrjoker - Igor77, ICC, 2008 (1-0, 70).
10...c6 11.0-0 N8e7 12.f4 Rf8
This is Black's idea: with the King Knight on e7, he can double the heavy pieces on the f-file. He will have four pieces trained on the f5 square.
13.f5 Ne5 14.d4 Nc4 15.Qd3 b5
I've seen similar Knight vs Queen face-offs, for example perrypawnpusher - saltos, blitz, FICS, 2009 (1-0, 28).
16.b3 Nb6 17.Bb2
I liked this move, both kicking the enemy Knight and preparing to put my Bishop on the long diagonal.
Yet, Rybka 3, after the game, preferred the same move that I've been wrestling with, in different settings, recently (see "What does the Jerome Gambit deserve?" and "Like the Big Boys"): 17.e5
The main idea is the clearance sacrifice, 17...dxe5 18.Ne4. The secondary idea is that if Black advances his Queen, instead, with 17...Qh4, White will advance his pawn with 18.f6. There is also the ugly 17...Bxf5 18.exf6 Bxf6 19.cxd3 Rxf6 20.Rxf6 gxf6 Ne4 where White will have an edge in the endgame.
I guess when I better understand e4-e5, I'll have a better handle on the Jerome Gambit.
17...Kf7
It's never to late to castle-by-hand.
18.Ne2 Nd7 19.Rae1 a5 20.Nf4 Kg8
Things seem to be going as planned: I have plenty of development as compensation for my sacrifice, I am about to drop a knight into an outpost at e6, and my opponent is running short of time.
21.Ne6 Rf7 22.e5
Give yourself credit if you saw the Bishop-and-Knight-tour: 22.Bc1 h6 23.Nc7 Ra7 24.Ne8 Qh4 25.Nxd6 winning a pawn.
22...dxe5
pitrisko's time was running out, so he overlooked the better 22...Qh4, which left White with only a small edge.
23.dxe5 Qh4 24.Rf4
All together now: WRONG ROOK!
Of course, after 24.Re4, Black's Queen is in danger of being trapped, and his best move, 24...Qh5, allows 25.Nf4 followed by 26.e6.
What a sad way to mess up a relatively well-played game by White!
24...Qxe1+ 25.Rf1 Qh4 26.Nc7 Nxf5 27.Nxa8 Nc5 28.Qc3
Here, much to my relief, Black forfeited on time.
Another example of the equalizing injustice of chess.
According to past World Champion Wilhelm Steinitz, when a player has an advantage, he must attack, or the advantage will fizzle away.
To put this another way, for less-skilled players like myself: When you have the advantage, finish off your opponent quickly, before you blow the game yourself.
Like in the following debacle...
perrypawnpusher - DrHilarius
blitz, FICS, 2011
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Nc3 Bc5 5.Bxf7+
The Italian Four Knights Jerome Gambit.
5...Kxf7 6.Nxe5+ Nxe5 7.d4 Bxd4 8.Qxd4 Re8
9.0-0
An alternative was 9.Bg5 followed by 10.0-0-0, as in Wall,B - PLMW, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 24).
9...Nc6 10.Qc4+ Kf8 11.Bg5 Ne5
This move struck me as a bit odd, and certainly provocative, but Rybka 3 did not censure it. My best response was probably 12.Qd4.
12.Qe2 Nf7 13.f4 h6 14.Bh4 g5
Breaking the pin, but loosening the Kingside too much.
15.fxg5 Nh7
He sees that to continue as planned (15...hxg5 16.Bxg5 Nxg5) would be dangerous (after 17.Qh5 Nf7 18.Qg6 Re6 19.Nd5), but his alternate choice should prove disastrous.
16.g6
This move is "okay", but deadly would have been 16.Qh5.
16...Qxh4 17.Rxf7+ Kg8 18.Rxh7
Since White is a couple of pawns up, with an aggressive position, it seems unkind to nag, again, that there was a far stronger move, 18.Qc4.
The problem is that for every "knockout punch" that I miss, my opponent stays on his feet a bit longer, and there is always the chance that he can get lucky.
18...d5 19.Qf3 Rf8 20.Rf7
Stop me if you've heard this one before... The snappy 20.Rh8+ led to mate.
20...Bg4 21.Qf4 Qg5 22.Qxg5
Competent, but 22.Nxd5 mates.
22...hxg5 23.Rxf8+ Rxf8 24.exd5 Bf5 25.Re1 Bxc2 26.Re7 Bd3
All that fire power, wasted. Still, White has a winning endgame with a strongly placed Rook and a couple of extra pawns.
27.Rxc7 Rf1 checkmate
Ooops...
I am sure that my opponent saw my oversight as hilarious!
(Note to self: tactics, tactics, tactics!)
I like playing over the Jerome Gambit games of Bill Wall, mrjoker and axykk. They look like patient predators, sitting, waiting, waiting, waiting... and then pouncing on their prey.
The following game of mine is a little like that. Except for the "pouncing" part.
perrypawnpusher - pitrisko
blitz, FICS, 2011
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Bxf7+
4...Kxf7 5.Nxe5+ Nxe5 6.Qh5+ Ng6
7.Qd5+ Ke8 8.Qxc5 d6 9.Qe3 Nf6
I have had this position in over 30 games, scoring over 80%. I don't have it quite mastered, but I can get to it quickly (and that counts in blitz).
10.0-0 Ng4 11.Qg3
Surprisingly bad is 11.Qe2 which unravels quickly: 11...Qh4 12.h3 Nf4 13.Qf3 Ne5 14.Qc3 Ne2+ 'Nuff said.
11...Qh4
Forcing the exchange of Queens. For 11...h6 see perrypawnpusher - lorecai, blitz, FICS, 2011, (1-0, 14) and for 11...h5 see perrypawnpusher - Riversider, blitz, FICS, 2010 (1-0, 18)
12.Qxh4 Nxh4
I don't play the Jerome Gambit with a Queenless middlegame in mind, but it can't be helped. I decided a while back that in this position it didn't pay to spend any time (on the clock) worrying, I needed to make the swap and then move on.
13.f4 Nf6 14.Nc3 Ng6 15.f5 Ne5
This gives away more tempos to the "Jerome pawns", and White is now close to having full compensation for his sacrificed piece.
16.d4 Nc6 17.e5
It was easier to decide on this move here than it was in my game against mtibuk.
17...dxe5 18.dxe5
18...Ng4
Black does not want to give the piece back with 18...Nxe5 19.Re1, etc., when White would have an edge; but perhaps he should have.
19.e6
This move is okay, but after the game Rybka 3 preferred 19.Nb5 Kf8 20.e6 b6 21.Nxc7 Rb8 22.Bf4 with the idea 22...Bb7 23.Bd6+ Ne7 when White will be able to win the exchange with 24.Nd6, adding to his three-pawns-for-a-piece material balance and Black's blocked King Rook.
This is certainly a position I need to return to and study some more.
19...Rf8
Instead, Black had a chance to prepare a better defense by playing 19...Ne7, so that if 20.Nb5, then 20...Nd5.
20.h3
Missing 20.Nb(or d)5 entirely. It could also be played on my next move, with advantage.
20...Nf6
21.Bf4
I was happy with my game so far. I had kept everything in balance,
keeping a roughly even game, just like the "big boys", and all I needed was a slip by my opponent to take advantage of.
21...Nb4 22.Bxc7 Nxc2 23.Rac1
Sensible.
Rybka 3's suggestion shows chess being played at a higher level than either my opponent or I were capable of in this game: 23.Rad1 (attacking the back rank) Bxe6 (forced, but useful) 24.fxe6 Ne3 (has White blundered??) 25.e7 Rg8 26.Rd8+ Kxe7 27.Rxa8 Rxa8 (White's "Jerome pawns" have disappeared, but that is all that he has to regret) 28.Re1 Kd7 29.Rxe3 Kxc7 30.Re7+ Kc6 31.Rxg7. White has won a pawn, but the endgame looks tricky.
Strong chess players can get blood from a stone.
23...Ne3 24.Rf3 Ned5 25.Nxd5 Nxd5 26.Bd6 Ne7
Finally Black slips, and it is time to pounce!
27.Rfc3
No, this not it. It is a paw swipe, not a pounce.
With the pressure from 27.Rc7 Black is forced to liquidate with 27...Nxf5 28.Bxf8 Bxe6 29.Bxg7 Rd8 30.g4 Nxg7 31.Rxg7 Rd7 32.Rxd7 Kxd7 and White is up the exchange and a pawn.
That is not a lot, but it is enough to win the endgame.
Black now wisely gives back his extra piece for the two "Jerome pawns" and the game slides into a draw...
I pursued things for a while, waiting for another chance to "pounce" but it was not to be.
27...Rxf5 28.Bxe7 Kxe7 29.Rxc8 Rxc8 30.Rxc8 Kxe6 31.Rc7 Rf7 32.Rxf7 Kxf7 33.Kf2 Ke6 34.Ke3 Kd5 35.Kd3 h5 36.h4 Ke5 37.Ke3 Kf5 38.Kf3 g5 39.hxg5 Kxg5 40.Kg3 Kf5 41.Kh4 Kg6 42.g4 hxg4 43.Kxg4 Kf6 44.Kf4 Ke6 45.Ke4 Kd6 46.Kd4 Kc6 47.Kc4 b6 48.a4 a6 49.b3 b5+ bxa4 51.bxa4 Kb6 52.a5+ Kc6 53.Kc4 Kd6 54.Kd4 Game drawn by mutual agreement
Play over the following game and try not to scream at me.
Even "The Worst Chess Opening Ever" should receive more respect than it gets here.
perrypawnpusher - mtibuk
blitz, FICS, San Jose, 2011
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 h6
The Semi-Italian Opening.
4.0-0 a6
It is hard to tell if mtibuk is being extra cautious here, simply going his own way in the opening, or intentionally avoiding the Jerome Gambit. Since The Database doesn't contain any of his games (before this one) my guess is the last suggestion is not the proper explanation.
5.Nc3
I'm hanging in there and trying to transpose to the Jerome. Otherwise, 5.d4 would have been enough for a slight advantage.
5...Bc5 6.Bxf7+
Okay!
6...Kxf7 7.Nxe5+ Nxe5 8.Qh5+ Ng6
Here we have a typical Jerome Gambit position, to which Black has added ...a6 and ...h6 and White has added Nc3 and 0-0. Certainly, this should be an improvement for the first player. Indeed, the computer suggests that the additions are worth about a half a pawn, but Black is still better.
That means there is still work to do.
Previously, angelosgoulianos played the stronger 8...Ke6 against me, in perrypawnpusher - angelosgoulianos, blitz, FICS, 2007, (1-0, 40), where I prevailed after a struggle.
9.Qd5+ Kf6
It is hard to see what Black gains with this move, instead of the standard 9...Kf8 10.Qxc5+ d6 11.Qe3 Nf6 (slight edge to the second player).
It is also hard to see that what he loses is another pawn: 10.Qf5+ Ke7 11.Nd5+ Ke8 12.Qxg6+ Kf8 13.Qf5+ Nf6 14.Nxf6 d6 15.Nd7+!? Ke7 16.Qg6 Kxd7 17.Qxg7+ Kc6. I didn't see that, Rybka 3 did, after the game.
10.Qxc5 d6 11.Qe3 Ne5
With the safer King, the better development, and the possibility of launching the "Jerome pawns", White has to have compensation for his sacrifice.
12.d4 Nc4
Black continues to play (and get away with) in a fancy free manner. More sedate was 12...Nc6.
13.Qf4+
In playing over this game afterward, the question came up: should I have been able to see that 13.e5+ was the proper move to play? I had looked as far as 13...dxe5 14.dxe5 Nxe5, saw that it lost a pawn, and checked out something else.
The trick was to see that 15.Rd1! would have given White's Knight a platform (d5) from which to check the Black King – moving it either away from the Black Knight, which can subsequently be captured by the White Queen; or to where it is pinned to the Black Knight by the White Queen and can be won with f2-f4.
Of course, Black should not exchange center pawns, but answer 13.e5+ with 13...Kf7. White then would have 14.Qf3+ with the makings of an attack on the Black King, although no immediate forced win of a piece.
If I am going to continue to attack with the Jerome Gambit, I have to be able to better recognize "a good attacking position" and move myself down that path.
13...Kg6 14.Qg3+ Kh7 15.f4 Nf6
White is still doing fine here, and his "Jerome pawns" still counter-balance Black's extra Knight; it is just that an opportunity has been missed.
16.e5 dxe5 17.fxe5
This is a careless, double error because I was looking in the wrong direction: it misses the much better 17.Qd3+ with the subsequent win of the Black Knight at c4; and it captures with the wrong pawn; at least after 17.dxe5 Black does not win material with 17...Qd4+.
17...Qxd4+ 18.Kh1 Qxe5
Much to my relief, my opponent returns the favor. After 18...Nxe5 Black is simply a piece up.
19.Qd3+ Kg8 20.Qxc4+ Be6 21.Qd3 Ng4
Material is even, and perhaps White can make something of Black's Rook blocked in at h8. Of course, he will have to take care of that mate threat at h2.
22.Bf4 Qh5 23.Rae1 Re8 24.Bxc7 b5 25.a3
This is an interesting slip. I read Black's move as a threat to my Knight on c3, and protected against it. Perhaps that is what Black intended.
If that is the case, we both missed the fact that Black can now play 25...Bc4, winning the exchange.
25...g5 26.Qf3
Attacking, which is the right idea.
26...Rh7
Mobilizing the locked-in Rook, but this should not be enough to hold the game.
27.Rxe6
Winning a piece after 27...Rxc7 28.Rxe8+ Qxe8 29.Qxg4. Black's response is inadequate, and again it was time for me to find the killer line of play.
27...Rc8 28.Be5
This move is "okay" but 28.Qd5 was devastating. It should not have been hard to find.
28...Rf7 29.Rf6
White had a simple win with the simplifying 29.Qxf7+ Qxf7 30.Rxf7 Kxf7 31.Rxa6 Nxe5 32.Rxh6. Given my propensity to run for simple endings, this is a sad oversight.
29...Rxf6 30.Bxf6
Believing that I was winning a piece ("Have I overlooked anything??"), I had no thoughts about forcing a draw with, for example, 30.Qd5+ Rf7 31.Ne4 Nxe5 32.Nf6+ Kh8 33.Qxe5 Qg6 34.Nh5+ Kg8 35.Nf6+ Kh8 36.Nh5+ etc.
30...Qxh2 checkmate
That's embarassing!
In my writing at Chessville (alas, the site is still without new content) I have reviewed a number of books in the Secrets of Opening Surprises series (#4, #6, #7, #8, #9, #10, #11, #12), edited by Jeroen Bosch. They are surprisingly addictive, sometimes startling, and always creative. As the series describes itself,
No time to study main lines? Shock your opponent with an SOS!... Secrets of Opening Surprises brings you a wide variety of unusual opening ideas. They may seem outrageous at first sight, but have proven to be perfectly playable.
After the introductory "S.O.S. Files", chronicling how earlier suggestions have worked out in over-the-board combat, Volume #13 contains:
- Sicilian Najdorf: the Czebe Attack (1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Qe2!?) GM Arthur Kogan
- The North Sea Defence (1.e4 g6 2.d4 Nf6) IM Jeroen Bosch
- The Williams Anti-Grünfeld Variation (1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6 3.h4) GM Simon Williams
- The Scotch Game: Carlsen Leads the Way (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 exd4 4.Nxd4 Bc5 5.Nb3 Bb6 6.Nc3 Nf6 7.Qe2) GM Konstantin Landa
- The Budapest Gambit Delayed (1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.g3 e5) IM Jeroen Bosch
- French Defence: Obtaining Two Bishops (1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.Nge2 dxe4 5.a3 Bxc3+ 6.Nxc3) GM Alexander Finkel
- Grabbing a Pawn in the Réti/Catalan (1.Nf3 d5 2.g3 c5 3.Bg2 Nc6 4.d4 e6 5.0-0 Bd7 6.c4) GM Glenn Flear
- Sicilian: Karma Chameleon (1.e4 c5 2.Ne2 d6 3.c3) GM Dimitri Reinderman
- The Centre Game in Viking Spirit (1.e4 e5 2.d4 exd4 3.Qxd4 Nc6 4.Qa4) IM Jeroen Bosch
- Slav: The Easy Way (1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nbd2) GM Efstratios Grivas
- Spanish: Kortchnoi's Idea in the Central Attack (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Ba4 Nf6 5.d4 Nxd4) GM Adrian Mikhalchishin
- Panic in the London (1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 d6 3.Bf4 Nh5) GM Dimitri Reinderman
- Pirc Defence - Taking off the Gloves (1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 g6 4.f4 Bg7 5.Nf3 0-0 6.e5 Nfd7 7.h4) GM Alexander Finkel
- New Recipe in Old Indian (1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 d6 3.Nc3 e5 4.Nf3 Nbd7 5.e4 Be7 6.Be2 0-0 7.g4) IM Jeroen Bosch
- Sicilian Mission: To Boldly Go... (1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nc6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Bf4 d6 7.Bg3) GM John van der Wiel
- Surprising Sacrifice in the Giuoco Piano (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.c3 Nf6 5.d4 exd4 6.cxd4 Bb4+ 7.Bd2 Bxd2+ 8.Qxd2!) GM Ian Rogers
Another fine collection of off-the-beaten path openings!
